PKCLsoft

Apple, accessibility and iMessage stickers

You know, I think Apple and their incredible focus on accessibility is amazing. My daughter and I are currently waiting for Apple to review our first sticker app, called Heroes and Villains Stickers.

My daughter put all the artwork together, all drawn on her iPad using the ArtStudio app, and I did the “programming” bit (though programming is a stretch given Apple have made it so easy to put a sticker app together). This project is a labour of love for her, as she’s a real fan of the characters she’s drawn.

As we put it all together I realised that all those stickers had names, and that those names actually have function and meaning as you put the sticker app together.

Sticker Properties

When all was ready to submit, I got my daughter to go through all of them and name them with text that reflected the meaning of the stickers.

That has paid off in the final product as with voiceover turned on, tapping on a sticker causes the iPhone to read the name of the sticker out loud.

This is terrific as people with impaired vision can enjoy the stickers too, and send them to people that can see them, knowing that the sticker means the right thing.

It is details like this that make it easy for me to continue working with Apple and their ecosystem as I know that when Apple talk about inclusivity, they mean it.